


True Identity

by reylotrash711



Series: reylotrash711's one shots [7]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Mandalorian, Mandalorian AU, Rey takes off his mask, Reylo - Freeform, reylo au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:40:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22894201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reylotrash711/pseuds/reylotrash711
Summary: Ever since he had captured her on Jakku, an unlikely connection had built up between them. At first they had despised each other. He was her captor, taking her to his master, and she was an annoyance he had to put up with to get his payment.-----Ben Solo has sworn to never remove his helmet, but when Rey comes into his life, everything turns upside down.A REYLO MANDALORIAN AU
Relationships: Kylo Ren & Rey, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Kylo Ren
Series: reylotrash711's one shots [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588801
Comments: 9
Kudos: 98





	True Identity

**Author's Note:**

> So this is what happens when I'm meant to be taking notes in History Class..
> 
> Huge thank you to HopeRebel for beta-reading this one shot, you're a star for being able to fix the mess I created!

They decided to spend the night on the ship. Even if they were to make a fire, it would still be far too cold to sleep under the stars as they had on the previous planets they had hid on from the people hunting her, hunting  _ them.  _ They had no idea how long they would be able to stay on this new planet, which Rey had already forgotten the name of. They had moved from place to place, leaving whenever a new threat arose that could result in them being discovered. 

Rey sat in the co-pilot's chair, nervously awaiting for Kylo - no - Ben to return from scouting the area around where they had landed. It had been an hour and a half since he ventured out into the unknown, instructing her to wait behind, and to leave if anything threatened her. She had reluctantly agreed; however, she had silently sworn that she would not be leaving him on the planet alone.

They had been through too much together to be separated now. She needed him, and deep down she felt as though he needed her just as much. 

Ever since he had captured her on Jakku, an unlikely connection had built up between them. At first they had despised each other. He was her captor, taking her to his master, and she was an annoyance he had to put up with to get his payment.

But it hadn’t been long before they were forced to work together to stay alive. When his ship had been ransacked by Jawas, they fought side by side against a Mudhorn in order to retrieve its Egg to bribe the Jawas. The Mudhorn would’ve killed him if Rey hadn’t stepped in at the last minute to save his life. She wasn’t quite sure why she had done it, for all she knew he was taking her to her death. 

But she had seen something inside him, something light behind the mask he adamantly refused to remove. So she stood at his side, and helped him rebuild the ship that would take her to his master. 

When he had delivered her to his master she hadn’t been afraid - she had been fighting off bounty hunters for years - she quickly decided to accept her fate. 

His master was a disgusting shell of a man who went by the name of Snoke. 

Once Kylo Ren had collected his reward, she was left in Snoke’s hands. Rey thought she was done for, that her miserable existence was coming to an end. But to her surprise, he had come running back. He broke her out of the cell they were keeping her in and rescued her, escaping the First Order, and running to the farthest corners of the galaxy. 

They moved from planet to planet, going on missions together, earning credits to keep them alive. But at the same time they were running, always running away from people trying to capture her, and take her back to his former master.

Ben had quickly become very protective of her, always on edge and extra cautious when they arrived on a new planet. That was exactly what he was doing now, scouting the area to ensure the place they had decided to stay was safe. 

Rey looked out at the dark landscape, letting out a tired sigh. The ship was silent, and she was alone. They had been apart for a mere hour, and she already missed him. It was odd really, relying on someone who at times she felt as though she barely knew. Stars, she hadn’t even seen his face. And yet, she had seen so much more. The connection between them was special, it was as if they were bound together by the Force. She could feel his every emotion. She knew when he was angry, which was always an indication to give him space for a few hours. She knew when he was in a good mood, happiness was a bit of a stretch, but she knew when he was willing to accept her terrible jokes. Sometimes, she could even sense the ghost of a smile beneath his mask.

The worst was when he was sad, it felt like a hole in her heart, and she would find herself crying for him when they slept at opposite ends of the ship. Did he feel the same? Could he sense when to leave her alone? Could he sense when she wanted to laugh?

It pained her that she was unable to see his face, to see the lips that spoke words that warmed her heart. To see the ears that listened to every word she spoke intently. To see the eyes that she knew would stare into hers when the helmet looked up at her from across the room. 

He had nearly taken it off once. A few weeks before when they found themselves trapped in a prison cell after taking a job from one of his old friends that quickly backfired. They thought they were both goners, doomed to remain trapped forever. So he had raised his hands to the sides of his helmet, telling her someone may as well see. 

But the precious moment had been interrupted when the cell door opened, and they were given a chance to escape. 

By the time they got back to his ship, they were acting like nothing had ever happened. 

Rey pulled her knees up into her chest, resting her feet on the edge of her seat. It was cold. She wanted to be near him. Panic immediately washed over her, was he okay? He never usually took this long to scout out the area, what if he was hurt? Or worse? 

She got to her feet. She knew what he had said, but she couldn’t sit around wondering if he was okay any longer, without checking for herself. 

Moving through the cockpit she searched frantically for a weapon of some sort. Pulling open a cabinet she found something that brought a smile to her face. Her staff from Jakku. She took it from the cabinet , and made her way to the ramp of the ship. 

Ben had made sure to lock the ship when he went out, but that didn’t stop Rey. After she bypassed the password lock with ease, the ramp lowered. 

She took slow and hesitant steps out of the ship, walking into the darkness gripping her staff tightly, her eyes searching the dark landscape for any threats that may come her way. When she reached the bottom, she spoke out into the night. “Ben?” she whispered hesitantly.

There was no reply. 

Rey walked further away from the ship, her teeth chattering as she shivered from the night’s bitter winds. 

Around her, the forest-like terrain was silent. There were no signs of life anywhere as she walked deeper. She could barely make out the shapes of the trees, and she tread carefully, making sure not to trip. 

“Ben?” she said again, a little louder this time. Turning back, the light from the ship was becoming smaller with each step she took. 

Rey took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She focused as hard as she could, remembering everything Ben had taught her during their time together. Reaching out through the Force, Rey was met immediately with the pleasant hum of her bond, a string attaching her to Ben. She decided to follow it, reaching further and further, desperately searching for him.

Following the path laid out before her, Rey tried her best to relax, to be calm. If she panicked she would never find him. 

Suddenly, she found him. His signature was as clear as a sunny day. 

_ Rey.  _

Her name echoed through her mind, his voice filling her senses. He was close, she could feel it.

_ Ben.  _

Rey broke into a run, her feet leading the way, guiding her to him. 

It wasn’t long before she heard the distant sound of heavy footsteps running towards her. “Rey!” His voice was like music to her ears and she ran faster. 

When they reached each other, they nearly crashed and fell to the forest floor, but Ben steadied her with his strong hands as she stumbled. “Rey, are you alright?” he asked, his mask making his voice much scarier than it sounded in her head, it was deeper, darker.

In the moonlight, Rey could just make out the features of his helmet now that her eyes had adjusted to the darkness. She nodded in response to his question, “Yes, I’m fine.”

“What are you doing out here?” he asked. Rey couldn’t help but notice the way his gloved fingers were gently moving across her elbows, lingering from where he had helped her to steady herself. As if he had realised what he was doing, he quickly pulled them away, leaving Rey feeling colder than she had before.

“I was worried, what’s taken you so long?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she shivered. Ben immediately noticed this and pulled off his cloak, wrapping it around her shoulders. 

“I’m sorry, I should’ve commed you.” he explained as he fastened the cloak around her neck. “I found something.”

Rey raised an eyebrow, “You found something?” 

Ben nodded, “Follow me,” taking her hand, and leading her deeper into the forest. 

“Ben, where are we going?” she asked. 

“Just trust me,” he said, guiding her over a rather large fallen tree that was blocking their path. 

They walked for ten minutes in near silence, only speaking when Ben told her to mind her step, or when he helped her over a tree or boulder. 

When they reached their destination, any panic or fear Rey had felt melted away, and she was left speechless. They stood side by side in front of the entrance to a cave. Inside, it was truly breathtaking. Still holding hands they stepped inside, and Rey was filled with wonder by the beauty in front of her. 

They were standing in a cave adorned in blue light. On the back wall, a waterfall fell into a lagoon where the blue water seemed to shimmer. Her hand slipping from Ben’s, Rey stepped forward, kneeling down by the water. 

“Oh Ben, it’s incredible,” she breathed, reaching down and dipping her hands in the water. It was pleasantly warm, a stark contrast from the bitter air outside. 

“I thought you’d like it,” he said quietly, crouching down next to her. Rey turned to him and smiled at him. His helmet turned to her, and she wondered if he was mirroring her expression. Through the bond, she could sense he was in a good mood, maybe even happy as they looked at each other. Rey blushed, turning away quickly, why was it always so hard to read him? To understand him?

“Right, I’m getting in,” Rey announced, placing down her staff, and pulling off her boots and Ben’s cloak. 

“You’re what?” 

“Getting in,” Rey repeated, as she pulled off the fabric that crossed over her chest, leaving her in her tunic, trousers and arm wraps. Ben turned away and she could sense his nervousness move through the bond. She smiled to herself before getting to her feet.

“I’m presuming that you don’t want to come in?” she said.

Ben nodded, moving backwards and sitting on a rock nearby. “I’d rather not, but go ahead,” he said. 

Rey stepped into the water, giggling as the warmth tickled her feet. She stepped in deeper, stopping when the water reached her waist. Turning, she rested on her back, floating as she stared up at the ceiling. 

She laughed, overjoyed by the feeling of being utterly surrounded by water. Growing up on Jakku meant water was rare. Any water she found, she drank or used to wash herself. Being able to enjoy the luxury of the water, and not having to worry about wasting it made her smile. 

She’ll never forget when they stopped on a planet called Ahch-To, and water began to fall from the sky. At first it had scared her, but Ben soon reassured her that it was simply rain, and that there was nothing to be afraid of.

She was never afraid when he was nearby, he made her feel safe. 

Placing her feet onto the floor of the lagoon, Rey approached the rock Ben was seated on. Resting her arms on the stone she looked up at him. “Thank you,” she said, smiling up at him. The blue water reflecting off his helmet made him look less intimidating and scary than usual, not that he could ever scare her anyway. 

“What for?” he asked. 

“For bringing me here,” she replied, resting her head on her arms and looking up at him. 

Ben chuckled, “I’m glad you like it.” 

Rey fell silent, simply just looking up at him. This was one of the most feared men in the galaxy, and yet here he was, sitting and laughing with her in a lagoon. It was at that moment she realised how she had turned his life upside down, made him a wanted man. He was risking his life for her. She was the one being tracked, he could abandon her on a nameless planet, and fly away without looking back. 

But he stayed by her side, he refused to abandon her. He was risking his life for her. 

Her smile faded as the realisation dawned on her. 

“What’s wrong?” Ben asked. 

Rey rested her hands on the edge of the rock, pushing herself up so she was sitting next to him. Ben immediately summoned his cloak from across the lagoon, wrapping it around her as she dried herself off. 

“Rey, are you okay?” he asked. 

She looked up at him and frowned before turning back to lagoon. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. Ben moved down from the rock, sliding down to sit next to her. 

“What for?” he asked curiously.

Rey looked down into her lap as she fidgeted with the edge of Ben’s cloak, “I ruined your life,” she mumbled. “You had a life, a reasonably successful one, despite my views on your line of work, but now you are on the run, always running and trying not to get caught.” 

As she looked out at the lagoon, she could feel the weight of his stare on her. “I am a burden, I can’t help but think maybe things would be better if we never-” she was cut off by Ben pressing a gloved finger to her lips, silencing her.

She turned to him, staring into the visor of his helmet. Ben pulled away his finger, only to pull off his gloves and toss them to the side before moving his hands to her jaw. His bare hands traced along her face, coming up to caress her cheeks. “It pains me to know you feel that way. You could never be a burden to me Rey,” he said gently. Rey leaned into his hand, relishing in his touch. Her hand moved up to cup his own. 

“You mean so much to me Rey, I will never regret choosing you over the life I once had.” He continued, “I’d do it all again if it meant I would end up here with you.”

Rey gave him a shy smile as he leaned forward, pressing his helmet against her forehead. Rey closed her eyes, her heart pounding as she focused on the feeling of his hands moving along her cheeks. 

Slowly, he took her hands in his own. She opened her eyes and watched as he slowly raised them, placing them on either side of his helmet. “A-are you sure?” Rey stuttered, taken aback by his action.

Ben nodded slowly. “For once, I want to look at you with my own eyes,” he said quietly. 

“Okay,” Rey whispered, her breathing shaky as she gripped the sides of his helmet. Moving them lower, she fumbled with the clasp. When she successfully undid it, she watched as the front of his helmet came forward with a snake-like hiss. 

Her heart was pounding every second as she slowly lifted the helmet. Rey’s pulse fluttered when she pulled it away to reveal the face of the man she was quickly falling in love with. Placing the helmet on the ground, she took in the man sitting before her. His dark raven hair that fell around his shoulders, his dark eyes that seemed to look into her very soul. She smiled at the sight of his slightly large ears. 

Her hands moved to caress his cheeks, gently moving her fingers along his skin as her heart beat furiously against her chest. 

“Ben,” she breathed, a bright smile spreading across her face.

Her gaze flickered to his lips and she immediately felt an incredible urge to kiss him, to finally express to him how she felt, explain something she couldn’t describe with words. 

She leaned closer, giving him every opportunity to move away, to retreat from her. But he didn’t, he let her come. 

Taking a deep breath, Rey closed the remaining space between them and pressed her lips to his. His arms wrapped around her immediately, pulling her close as he returned her kiss. His hands rested in her hair, his fingers moving in between her buns. It was better than anything she had ever dreamed off. It was as if fireworks were going off between them. 

After a few moments of pure bliss, Rey pulled away and looked into his eyes. He looked momentarily shocked, taken aback by her gesture. 

His lips soon turned into a smile, one that made her heart do a flip in her chest. A few stray tears ran down her cheeks as she looked at Ben, he was beautiful, it made her hate him for hiding from her for so long. 

“It’s you,” she said. 

Ben nodded, wiping away her tears. “It’s me,” he said, his voice no longer altered by the mask. His voice was just as it sounded inside her head when she would hear him through the bond. The sound made her lean forward and kiss him again. This time her hands found their way into his hair, tugging him closer to her. Once again, his arms found their way around her waist. Except this time, he pulled her to him and into his lap, holding her so their chests were pressed together as they kissed.

Pulling back Rey gave him a smile and they both let out a laugh. “I love you.” Rey said suddenly, before she had the chance to stop herself. 

Ben’s laughter subsided and he pressed his forehead to her own, now with no helmet separating them from each other.

“I know.” 

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed, consider leaving comments and kudos to make my day!


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